Dog infected with monkeypox prompts isolation warning

Dog infected with monkeypox prompts isolation warning A dog has been infected with monkeypox after catching the virus from its owner, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said.

It's the first case of its kind, and health leaders say isolating from pets when infected is important.

The WHO also warned of the need to get rid of rubbish carefully to reduce the risk of infecting other animals.

There is no evidence that dogs can transmit the disease to other dogs or humans, an expert said. BBC News

See also:

• First human to dog monkeypox case prompts WHO advice to pet owners The Guardian
• WHO asks public to propose less stigmatising name for monkeypox The Guardian
• Dog catches monkeypox from owners after sleeping in their bed The Independent

NHS workers to vote on industrial action after rejecting 4% pay award

NHS workers to vote on industrial action after rejecting 4% pay award Hundreds of thousands of NHS workers will decide whether to go on strike after rejecting a pay increase that will see them worse off than last year in real terms.

The pay rise, announced in July, would mean an average 4 per cent increase for most staff but new inflation figures released today mean the average cost of living had increased by 10 per cent since the same time last year. Big Issue

See also:

• New RCN ballot results give clearest sign yet of strike action by nursing staff across the UK Royal College of Nursing
• Junior doctors in strike ballot threat over 'unacceptable' 2% pay rise offer Daily Mail
• Majority of GPs back taking industrial action in the coming year, poll suggests GPonline
• Millions of public sector workers to vote on strikes in ‘biggest industrial action since 1970s’ The Independent
• Nurses speak of ‘shift in appetite’ for strike action over pay Nursing Times
• ‘Agenda for Change’ contractors reject NHS pay award Pharmacy Business

UK hospitals lose millions after AI startup valuation collapses

UK hospitals lose millions after AI startup valuation collapses Two NHS hospital trusts in the UK have lost nearly £15 million ($18 million) between them due to the collapse in value of an AI startup.

Last month, The Register reported that seven NHS hospital trusts appeared to have lost millions following deals with Sensyne Health – a fledgling AI business trying to discover and develop new medicines – which saw company shares exchanged for patient data.

NHS mental health services are turning children away when they need us most

NHS mental health services are turning children away when they need us most | Tara Porter I have worked with young people for 25 years – it’s galling to see them bounced between overworked departments because their diagnosis doesn’t fit. The Guardian

Online pharmacy prescriptions have DOUBLED as patients turn to websites because they can't see a GP

Online pharmacy prescriptions have DOUBLED as patients turn to websites because they can't see a GP Patients are being put at risk because online pharmacies are dishing out drugs in dangerously high quantities and with little scrutiny, a watchdog has warned.

Twice as many prescriptions were written by pharmacy websites last year than pre-pandemic, in a sign of Britons increasingly turning to the internet after struggling to access a GP. The Daily Mail

See also:

• GPhC issues advice about risks relating to online services General Pharmaceutical Council

Genetic links can help men with higher risk of prostate cancer get early diagnosis

Genetic links can help men with higher risk of prostate cancer get early diagnosis Men at high risk of developing prostate cancer could be diagnosed earlier if genetic weaknesses were considered by GPs, research reveals.

A fifth of annual suspected prostate cancer referrals could be fast-tracked for investigation, while another 40 per cent could avoid referral and invasive biopsies if a genetic risk for cancer was included into GP triage. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Applying a genetic risk score for prostate cancer to men with lower urinary tract symptoms in primary care to predict prostate cancer diagnosis: a cohort study in the UK Biobank (open access) British Journal of Cancer

Northampton day hospice reopens after Covid closure

Northampton day hospice reopens after Covid closure A day hospice forced to close its doors due to Covid-19 has resumed face-to-face care.

The Cynthia Spencer Hospice in Northampton moved its day services online in March 2020.

Earlier this month it fully re-introduced its physical wellbeing services for people living in the community. BBC Northampton

Postoperative nutritional management among patients with oesophago-gastric cancer in England: NOGCA short report

Postoperative nutritional management among patients with oesophago-gastric cancer in England: NOGCA short report This report provides insight into current postoperative nutritional practices in ten (27.8 per cent) oesophago-gastric cancer specialist centres across England, based on 617 patients who underwent curative surgery after being diagnosed between April 2019 and March 2020. The report found that, for patients who had oesophagectomy, the most commonly reported nutritional management strategy was enteral nutrition delivered via a jejunostomy during the admission and continued on discharge (51.0 per cent). It also found that the majority of oesophagectomy patients (83.9 per cent) had a jejunostomy or received parenteral nutrition during their surgical admission. National Oesophago-Gastric Cancer Audit

Guidance for emergency departments: initial assessment

Guidance for emergency departments: initial assessment This guidance makes recommendations for models of initial assessment of patients arriving at emergency departments and provides standard definitions of the processes that classify as initial assessment: streaming, triage, and rapid assessment and treatment. It recognises that initial assessment and flow from the front door of a hospital are a crucial first step on a patient’s journey. NHS England

Monkeypox cases confirmed in England – latest updates

Monkeypox cases confirmed in England – latest updates Latest updates on cases of monkeypox identified by the UK Health Security Agency.

Infected blood victims to get £100,000 compensation

Infected blood victims to get £100,000 compensation More than 4,000 UK victims of the infected blood scandal are to receive interim compensation of £100,000 each, the government has announced.

It will be given to those whose health is failing after developing blood-borne viruses like hepatitis and HIV, as well as partners of people who have died.

It is the first time compensation will be paid after decades of campaigning. BBC News

See also:

• Infected Blood victims to receive £100,000 interim compensation payment Cabinet Office
• Contaminated blood: If I was paid in tears I'd be a billionaire BBC News
• Survivors of contaminated blood scandal awarded interim payments The Guardian
• ‘My family was destroyed’: relatives of blood scandal victims get nothing The Guardian
• Bristol woman orphaned aged nine due to infected blood scandal denied compensation ITV News
• Infected blood victims to be offered £100,000 in government compensation Sky News

Hospitals told to slash waits as GP cancer referral rates spike

Hospitals told to slash waits as GP cancer referral rates spike Hospitals have been ordered to reduce the number of patients waiting too long for cancer investigation amid GP referral rates that are currently one fifth higher than before the pandemic.

In a letter to trusts and ICBs, sent at the end of last month, NHS England said cancer referrals ‘now constitute one in every four’ GP referrals to an acute trust. Pulse

Majority of 40 new hospitals promised by Boris Johnson in 2019 unlikely to be finished by next general election

Majority of 40 new hospitals promised by Boris Johnson in 2019 unlikely to be finished by next general election Eighty percent of the 40 new hospitals promised by the Conservatives in 2019 either do not have a completion date or are unlikely to be finished by the next general election, according to a Sky News investigation.

BCG vaccine can protect against Covid, new report finds

BCG vaccine can protect against Covid, new report finds The world may have another tool with which to fight the effects of the Covid-19 virus.

A new study published in Cell Reports Medicine has found that the Bacillus-Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine, developed to help fight tuberculosis in the early 1900s, may offer a measure of protection against Covid and a range of other infectious diseases and bacteria by strengthening the immune system. The Independent

See also:

• Multiple BCG vaccinations for prevention of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases in Type 1 diabetes (open access) Cell Reports Medicine
• Covid vaccine: When can I get my booster jab? The Independent
• Covid-19 drug trial at Addenbrooke's in Cambridge giving hope to those who never stopped shielding ITV News
• BCG Vaccine Protects Type 1 Diabetics Against COVID-19 Technology Networks

NHS fails on mental health care targets as waiting list rises to 1.2 million

NHS fails on mental health care targets as waiting list rises to 1.2 million The number of people waiting for community mental health care has risen to 1.2 million, with the NHS missing several targets, new data reveals.

The NHS England data found the figure for those waiting for a mental health follow-up appointment or learning disability service at the end of 2021-22 was up from 1.08 million at the end of quarter three. The Independent

Dementia patients can wait up to TWO YEARS for diagnosis, audit shows

Dementia patients can wait up to TWO YEARS for diagnosis, audit shows Dementia patients face a postcode lottery of care with some waiting up to two years for a diagnosis, a damning audit reveals.

Patients are waiting an average of 17.7 weeks to find out if they have the condition after being referred to a memory assessment service, up from 13 weeks pre-pandemic.

However, the average masks a huge range in times, with some people seen immediately while others face waits of up to 104 weeks, the report reveals. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Memory Services Spotlight Audit 2021 - National Report Royal College of Psychiatrists
• National Audit of Dementia publishes Spotlight Report on Memory Assessment Services Royal College of Psychiatrists

Vaccine could ward off lyme disease to help the thousands of Britons

Vaccine could ward off lyme disease to help the thousands of Britons A vaccine designed to protect against Lyme disease is being trialled and, if successful, could be available for use in 2025.

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection, spread by ticks, which affects thousands of Britons every year.

There are about 1,000 laboratory-confirmed cases a year in England and Wales, although the UK Health Security Agency estimates the true number of people affected is up to four times higher. The Daily Mail 

Mental health charity launches new community services across Northamptonshire

Mental health charity launches new community services across Northamptonshire A mental health charity has launched two new community services in Northampton and Wellingborough.

The Northampton project, has now opened its new community hub next to the Mind offices in Regent Square. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Student nurses invited to apply for mental health and learning disability placement at Northampton hospital

Student nurses invited to apply for mental health and learning disability placement at Northampton hospital Student nurses specialising in mental health and learning disabilities have been invited to gain a deeper understanding of the sector by carrying out work experience at a Northampton hospital.

St Andrew’s Healthcare, situated in Billing Road, has teamed up with the University of Northampton (UON) to provide nursing students with the opportunity to join the Healthcare Landscape Nursing Placement Programme. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Pre-registration community nursing placements survey report

Pre-registration community nursing placements survey report The report is based on evidence gathered through an online survey, part of a wider programme of work to highlight the community placement options available for pre-registration nursing students and the career opportunities that may follow. Historically there has been an emphasis on learning in hospital settings, where pre-registration student nurses gain experience in generalist and specialist areas. However, with more and increasingly complex healthcare now being delivered in the community, it is essential that student nurses gain a wider range of experiences. Queen’s Nursing Institute